Headline

The partnership of Asociacion de Puertorriquenos en Marcha (APM) and prominent New York developer Jonathan Rose Companies has selected WRT to provide architectural services for the Temple Station Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) project in Philadelphia, PA. APM is a Latino-based, non-profit organization that supports economic and community development in order to improve quality of life in the Philadelphia area. The goal of the $48-million Temple Station Transit-Oriented Development is to create a sustainable, pedestrian-oriented community that promotes the use of mass transit. Ultimately, the project is expected to become a model for other similar developments along the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's (SEPTA) regional rail system.

The project was announced early in June at a special event at the new Temple Station TOD site, attended by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Pennsylvania Senator Robert Casey, and APM President Nilda Ruiz. The Located on 9th Street in North Philadelphia, the station site is situated near SEPTA's Temple University Regional Rail station, which is among the busiest stops along the rail system. The high level of commuter activity combined with a nearby burgeoning residential area makes the location ideal for transit-oriented development. The project's funding was provided by both public and private sources, with Senator Casey obtaining $487,000 in federal economic development funding.

Articles regarding the project have appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Business Journal.

WRT will work to integrate the project with the Temple University Station, and will also design a mid-rise building that offers mixed-income rental housing. The building—a prominent feature of the development—will also be mixed-use, with space on the ground floor for a community education center as well as commercial and retail usage. Sustainability is also a priority for the project, and a LEED certification will be targeted. Green design techniques such as solar panels, rainwater reuse, a green roof, use of local and recyclable materials, and others are being considered. WRT has been assisting APM for almost ten years with planning the revitalization of the project site and the surrounding neighborhood.

"This ambitious project stands to become an eloquent regional model for a comprehensive and integrated approach to building sustainable communities, one that extends the notion of building performance to the broader sphere of neighborhood performance," notes WRT Principal Antonio Fiol-Silva, FAIA. "WRT is proud to work with Jonathan Rose Companies, APM, and the City of Philadelphia to bring to implementation this key transit-oriented development, which will further the rebuilding of this neighborhood as a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented, sustainable community, as envisioned in our plan for APM nearly a decade ago."